


Melancholy

by orphan_account



Category: Rooster Teeth/Achievement Hunter RPF
Genre: Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Super AU, Supernatural Elements
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-06-06
Updated: 2014-06-06
Packaged: 2018-02-03 16:52:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,258
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1751810
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Jack Pattillo tries extremely hard to make sure people are happy.  He genuinely wants his friends to feel cheerful.  Yet at the same time his very presence drags them down.  Jack-centric, there are definitely not enough of them.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Melancholy

Jack sucked in a deep breath. The atmosphere in the office that day was so heavy that a chainsaw couldn’t even cut it. Recording Let’s Plays turned out to be a chore, with everyone down and decidedly more irritable than usual. It was the sort of destructive mood that was self-perpetuating—the worse everyone felt, the more likely they were to snap, then feel even crappier as a result. For that reason, Jack was determinedly upbeat, trying to draw a laugh from the others. Anything to break up the horribly oppressive mood.

“Why are you so goddamn cheerful?” Gavin finally snapped at him, shoving his chair away from his desk to turn and glare at the Gent.

Having Gavin of all people snap at him made Jack quiet immediately. He slowly spun his chair so that he could look at the Brit. “Just trying to make everyone else happy, too.” Jack felt a disgusting mixture of cheer and melancholy as he spoke. A surge of guilt rose in his chest, and he looked away. He could physically feel his own negative emotions rolling off of him in waves.

All the others felt it too, and his explanation seemed to infuriate Gavin. “We’d be happier if you weren’t bloody around to bring us down!”

Jack froze in his chair at the accusation. “Gavin! That was uncalled for!” Geoff reprimanded him, standing up from his own seat.

Swallowing hard, Jack stood as well. “No, Geoff. He’s right. I’m going to just go somewhere else, give you guys time to… you know.” To be happy again, without Jack ruining it.

“What? No, Jack, we need you to record videos,” Geoff protested, looking sharply from Gavin to Jack, his expression changed from anger to surprise.

He hated how easily he laughed, no matter how bitter a sound it was. “No, you guys are going to get much more done if I’m not here.” He didn’t add that the fans didn’t even like him in the Let’s Plays to begin with.

Before any of them could say anything more, and trying not to think about the grimly smug look in Gavin’s eyes, Jack left the room quickly. Once out of the office, it was like all the energy drained from him. The atmosphere lightened up, and with it his determined energy fell away. A good time to make some coffee, perhaps, he thought as he directed his feet toward the kitchen. Hopefully no one would be in it and he could get these emotions under control, for everyone’s sake.

As harsh as Gavin’s words had been, they were true. Like quite a few of others in the Roosterteeth office, Jack had abilities beyond that of an average person. It was part of the reason why Achievement Hunter consisted almost solely of others with such powers. Keep them close, teach them to control their powers, and then maybe they could do some good with them.

What a hypocrite Jack was, when he could barely control his own.

Jack’s power was emotion based. Whatever melancholy he felt, he could transmit into the very air around him, affecting the people around him. The worst part was that he fed off of the negative emotions of others, especially those affected by his ability. For that reason, he felt personally responsible when the mood felt low, and he tried his best to keep everyone positive. If he could make even one person happy, then it was the best thing in the world.

Yet he was so emotionally destructive whenever his power got out of hand, that Jack wondered why he even bothered socializing with the others. They would be infinitely better without him.

He had made it to the kitchen, but the desire to put the effort into making a pot of coffee left him. Slumping against the counter, he brought his hands up to his face. Jack felt as if he were stuck between a rock and a hard place. He wanted his coworkers—his very good friends, the people who were most precious to him—to be happy. He wanted to make them happy. Yet it was his very presence that could bring them down the hardest. He hated his power. He hated himself. Why couldn’t he just get a cap on it?

For what felt like hours, he indulged in the destructive thoughts. Jack didn’t even care about the sort of aura he must be making in the kitchen. If anyone had been about to go into the kitchen, they must have changed their minds upon feeling the very palpable negative atmosphere emanating from Jack. That suited him just fine. He allowed himself the anger and sadness and hatred welling up in his chest, creating a lump in his throat. After a long time, he finally took the pains of reeling in his emotions. Eyes fluttering shut, he concentrated on his breathing, until the feelings ebbed away. The subsequent nothing that he felt was refreshing.

It was just as well that he regained control when he did, because at that moment Caleb tentatively poked his head into the kitchen. “Hey Jack, you alright?” he asked gently.

The sight of the community manager gave Jack a pang of guilt. Caleb’s own ability was empathy. Anything that Jack gave off hit Caleb more acutely than it did any of the others. Several times Jack’s melancholy made the younger man feel physically sick.

But he refused to let his power take over him again.

“Yeah. I’m better now. Sorry about that.”

Caleb edged into the kitchen. Apparently feeling nothing from his proximity to Jack, he came closer with much more confidence. “They sent me to come get you. Everyone’s feeling better, and they’re pretty guilty about making you leave like that.”

Don’t let it come back, don’t let it come back. It exhausted him to hold his emotions close to himself, but he did it for the empath’s sake. Yet that didn’t stop the humorless laugh from escaping his lips. “Of course they’re feeling better. I’m not there.”

“Jack…” Caleb looked unsure. Hesitantly, he reached out and placed his hand on their shoulder. “Gavin’s feeling the guiltiest of all of them. He’s seriously very sorry. You’re his friend. They don’t want to record things without you.”

Although Jack shook his head, he didn’t shrug away Caleb’s hand. It was comforting, as the empath often was, without being overbearing. His presence offered unassuming comfort where Jack’s did the exact opposite. “Really he was right. They’re better off without me.”

“That’s not true!” Caleb insisted, and the shake of his head was so earnest that it drew a more genuine chuckle from Jack. “We’ve all got issues with our powers. I mean come on, how many times have you guys had to take care of me when I can’t even move because of how overwhelmed I feel? Or how about all the times that Michael has nearly burned the office down? Or the time Lindsay nearly broke several pieces of expensive equipment with an earthquake?”

Now Jack laughed easily, without the disgusting feeling of feeding off of someone’s misery. “A lot actually,” he admitted.

Caleb nodded. “You see? We’ve all got problems. That doesn’t mean we won’t do our best to support each other through them.” He smiled, dropping his hand from Jack’s shoulder. The contact was gone, but the comfort remained. “So, ready to go back to the office and record a great Let’s Play.”

Jack grinned. “Yeah I am. Thanks, Caleb.”

Caleb returned the grin. “No problem, Jack.”


End file.
